Month: Apr 2013

The Dulwich Society unveiled a plaque to World War II victims of BURBAGE ROAD on Saturday, 13th April at 12 noon at the junction of Burbage Road and Turney Road. This commemorates those at number 9, Burbage Road killed in an air raid on 17th, April 1941 (ELIZABETH FEAVER 59, FREDERICK FEAVER 56, JOAN FEAVER 17, RAYMOND FEAVER 18) and those killed by a V1 flying bomb on 22nd, June 1944 in the row of houses between the entrance to the Velodrome and Turney Road ( WALTER BOUTALL 55, HENRY DUCK 63, KATE DUCK 59, BARBARA WILSON 23). The current edition of the Society’s journal features an article about these air raids and the other sites in our area being marked in the same way, including a moving poem by Alan Woodfield.

Tree Tales is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beauty and magic of the trees around us.
Over two days artists will lead open workshops which will culminate in the creation of tree sculptures, using the trees of Dulwich Park as inspiration. Dulwich people have been telling us their stories and poetry about trees and these will form the basis for a sound scape to accompany the trees. The sculptures will be illuminated at the final event and you can make a wish in a 3-metre high pillar of fire!

Thursday 11 April and Friday 12 April, 10am – 4pm
Come along and take part in free drop in art workshops to make your own section of a tree sculpture. Led by artists Mary Branson and Jono Retallick, the workshops are open to all ages, children should be accompanied, and you can stay for as long as you like. If raining, the workshops will take place inside Pavilion Cafe.

Saturday 13 April, 6pm – 9pm
FREE event suitable for all the family. This is your chance to see the installation come to life as dusk arrives and the sculptures glow! Hear the stories about trees and enjoy musical entertainment from local choirs The Telegraph Community Choir and Dulwich Folk Choir, up and coming band, The Melodic and wonderful storyteller Sandra Agard. Pavilion Cafe will be open serving snacks and refreshments.

The workshops and event will take place outside the Pavilion Cafe in Dulwich Park, SE21.

After a winter like this, we’re delighted to see that the forecast is getting better this week – maybe this will be the beginning of spring!

It was announced in the Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan yesterday that, contrary to the initial proposals, Gipsy Hill Police Station has been saved as a base to secure cross borough policing. East Dulwich Police Station is, as expected, to close permanently although a police contact point is expected to be maintained at Dulwich Library on Lordship Lane. The Kingswood Office on Seeley Drive is also to be retained as a contact point. This is good news for the local communities that these facilities will serve but there is still a great deal of work to be done. You can find full details of what has been announced here:

Gipsy Hill Police Station is to remain open as a ‘contact point’ thanks to the many residents and community groups in the Crystal Palace Triangle area who refused to take no for an answer. The Mayor has accepted the cross borough approach to policing in this area and this decision also means that Safer Neighbourhood Teams will continue to work out of Gipsy Hill Police Station. This will come as a great relief to the local community.

I am delighted that the Mayor has taken seriously the extensive survey I undertook and the case made by community organisations, and that he has recognised the sense of security that people in Gipsy Hill get from the presence of the Gipsy Hill Police Station. I pay the warmest tribute to people like David Green and others in the community who have worked so hard to help put together such a constructive and well supported proposal.

I will be urging the Met to work with Southwark to make use of the £750,000 the Council have committed to facilitating community safety in the borough and their willingness to be flexible on planning consent. There is clear support for the police to maintain a presence in East Dulwich and we must make sure the Mayor’s intention is followed through effectively and that our SNTs are as close as possible to the ward they serve. I welcome the intention to maintain a point of public access on Lordship Lane but reserve judgement on the adequacy of the proposal until Southwark, working with the Met and the Mayor, have come up with a firmer proposition.

Thank you for your support on these issues and to all those who have worked to help bring about this progress so far.